Thus from last week…2000 years ago there was no man-child which was caught up to heaven. Jesus (Who was not that man-child) was instead crucified, then raised from the dead, then remained on the earth, further instructing His disciples for a total of 40 days before ascending back to heaven (John chapter 21 and Acts 1:3). Moreover, Israel did not flee into the wilderness and stay there for three and a half years, but rather, in A. D. 70, was scattered all over the planet for about 1900 years, until in the late 1940s it became a legal nation again. Chapter 12 in Revelation pictures the modern nation of Israel, the first 144,000 Jewish converts during the Tribulation, the plan of the devil to obliterate the seed of Abraham once for all, plus God’s own plans to protect Israel from the devil, the Antichrist and his gullible angelic and human followers. (We will discuss in a later article the devil’s final assault on God and His people after his thousand-year confinement in the abyss, and observe his instant defeat, and his eternal fiery future.)
That one-third of the angels that will accompany the red dragon, Satan, in his final invasion of heaven, and will be cast out of heaven for the final time, obviously fell with Lucifer in the dateless past. They will surely not be fresh angelic recruits. Most honest theologians agree that is the case. The devil will become enraged at all of God’s people, knowing that he will then have only a short time left before he is confined to the abyss for a thousand years—with no contact with human beings—unable to tempt anyone. Chapter 13 pictures the Antichrist kingdom as a beast rising up out of the sea—the sea here being multitudes of people living upon the planet. The waters upon which the Great Whore sits will be peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues (different languages) according to Revelation 17:15. So it must be the same in chapter 13—consistency. John’s description of the beast can also be just a little bit confusing. But that beast is a combination of three entities—a man, a kingdom and an angelic being which rules over the Antichrist kingdom under the great red dragon—the devil himself. Sometimes, the angelic being is emphasized in a passage, sometimes the kingdom, and sometimes the man—the Antichrist. The sea, in prophetic passages, always represents multitudes of people. The second beast—the Antichrist’s false prophet—comes out of the land, one more symbol in Revelation of multitudes of people. So both the Antichrist and his false prophet will be actual human beings, born in the last days, who will be totally sold out to Satan; and not some alien creatures from outer space, or two men who have lived in the past, who will be resurrected in the end-time, and have to die again. And, there are some who believe such nonsense. No one is authorized to make the Bible say whatever they want it to say. Read and heed Revelation 22:18-19. You might shudder over that. The beast being pictured with the features of a leopard, a bear, and a lion obviously refers to the angelic being ruling under Satan and over the Antichrist and his kingdom subjects. That is the angelic part of the beast system. He will obviously rule under the devil, because Revelation 13:2 says the dragon will give him his power, his throne and great authority. Many believe it is God Who gives Antichrist authority over this world’s population, and enables him to make war on God’s own people, but Revelation chapter thirteen makes it clear that Satan is the culprit who endows Antichrist with power and authority to come against creation and believers. Why would God do such a thing?
(Ron Craig is pastor, teacher and author of Christian books; and these articles. You may view all the books by logging onto www.livingwayfellowshiponline.org. While logged on the website you can even listen to audio Bible-lesson podcasts. You may also send your questions or comments to ronwritercraig@gmail.com)
